VIDALIA — Ricardo Dukes has three weeks to decide if he should cop a plea or face trial on charges of second-degree murder.

Dukes was indicted on charges of second-degree murder in connection with the April 2008 death of 50-year-old Frank Holmes of Natchez.

When Dukes appeared in court Wednesday, Seventh Judicial District Assistant District Attorney Ann Siddall said Dukes’ case is set for trial Feb. 2, 2010, but the district attorney’s office has offered him a plea deal.

In return for a guilty plea, Dukes will be convicted of manslaughter and will receive a sentence of multiple decades, though Siddall said she did not want to specify the exact number of years because the victim’s family had not yet been informed of the specific offer.

The district attorney’s office will give the defendant until Dec. 9 to decide, she said.

Dukes’ attorney, Derrick Carson, said the defense would be taking the three weeks to make the decision.

“We are in the process of checking into a new witness at the scene we were not aware of,” Carson said. “When we are done with that we will provide the state with the decision at that time.”

The scene in question was 103A John Dale Drive in Vidalia.

Late on the night of April 2, 2008, emergency responders received a call for police and ambulance assistance.

When they arrived on the scene, they discovered Holmes on the bathroom floor, unconscious and with no pulse.

He had two stab wounds to his chest and cuts on his wrists and hands, and witnesses at the scene identified Dukes as the suspect, police said at the time.

Dukes was booked at the Vidalia Police Department at 3 a.m. the next morning, and he reportedly told investigators that the slaying was an argument that escalated into a more violent affair, police said.

Both the victim and the defendant had apparently been drinking, and the evening had reportedly started out friendly, police said.

The police also reportedly discovered marijuana at the residence.